A variety of different hand-operated tools are commonly used for lawn and gardening tasks such as, for example, spades, shovels, and forks which can require the user to step on a tool head to apply enough force to drive the tool head into the ground or other material to be by the tool. These hand-operated tools typically have a generally straight, cylindrical-shaped handle extending rearwardly from the tool head along a central longitudinal axis. In some instances, a rear end of the handle is provided with a grip such as, for example, a D-shaped grip. The upper end of the tool head is typically provided with abutments or steps located on opposite sides of the handle onto which the user can step to apply a force to the tool head into the ground. The tool head is typically made of a metal such as, for example, steel while the handle is typically made of a material such as, for example, wood, fiberglass, or plastic.
While these prior hand-operated tools may be adequate to perform intended lawn and gardening tasks under some conditions, they can be difficult and uncomfortable to grasp and hold, particularly with two hands, and can require the operator to have a relatively large amount of hand strength. Additionally, the user can become easily unbalanced and must apply an undesirably high amount of force when stepping on the tool head because the user must step at the side of the tool head offset from the central axis. This can particularly be a concern when the hand-operated tools are used by women, elderly, or handicapped users. Additionally, there is a never ending desire to improve certain characteristics of such hand-operated lawn and garden tools such as, for example, quality, reliability, versatility, weather-resistance, high strength, low weight, and low manufacturing costs. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved hand-operated lawn and garden tools.